NEWS: 2011 Chevy Volt - From Show Car to Showroom

The 2007 Chevrolet Volt concept dazzled, even more than General Motors expected. For 2010 production, however, it has to use existing component sets, which naturally make the Volt more mainstream and cheaper to build. The changes also give the car lower drag, more cabin space, and a tighter turning circle. The designer of both vehicles, Bob Boniface, says that concept cars are "not a contract with the general public" and that the commercial product is a much better car. We tend to agree with him. Polarizing design can impress but lose sales. GM needs this car to succeed. So do we all.

From Concept to Production

1 The deeply inset grille and the sharp crease from the lower lamps were terrible for aerodynamics, and the recessed lamps were neither adequate for illumination nor legal.

2 Multiple hard surface-change lines on the front of the concept tended to confuse and retard oncoming air molecules. Smoothing the front end helps aerodynamically and simplifies production.

Although it is currently in talks with Renault to develop an all-new Smart car, Daimler has seen fit to update the current second-generation Smart Fortwo -- although the modifications are subtle, to say the very least.Externally, the revised Fortwo looks virtually identical to that of the outgoing c

Honda won't officially take the wraps off its 2011 Fit Hybrid until the start of the 2010 Paris Motor Show in September, but the automaker has been kind to release a few images and some preliminary specifications ahead of the Parisian debut.As has been long speculated, the Fit Hybrid uses a powertra

Although dwarfed by the news of a new CEO for its American operations, Volkswagen did also announce a few slight tweaks in both content and pricing for its 2011 Golf and 2011 GTI models this morning.In the market for an entry-level 2011 Volkswagen Golf?

Most Viewed Articles

Automobile offers a rich and varied examination of the automotive universe in all its forms - delivered by our stable of first-class editors and freelance contributors and illustrated with vibrant photography.